I stared down at Leona, sitting amongst the glittering gemstones.
Did it matter that the naming of something had changed in the few centuries since phoenixes went extinct? Probably not. But it was weird that it was something relating to me.
"Peep!"
Say, Luca. Do you have special talents? Humans with phoenix eyes typically do.
I frowned. I had one talent I had become known for in the underground circles of my original life. However, it wasn't one I cared to duplicate in this lifetime unless I was hard-pressed for information.
"Luca Frey?"
My eyes moved up towards the representative from The Gilded Siren.
He flashed a smile now that he had my attention. "Is there anything the matter? Or is the delivery fulfilled to your satisfaction?"
I realized I had probably appeared to have zoned out for a moment in his view.
"No, everything is great." I shooed Leona out of the box and clicked it closed. "You may leave."
Leona fluttered up and perched atop my head again.
"Peep!"
Can you go somewhere you can be alone if you're not going to respond with others nearby? I feel like I'm talking to thin air.
"Wonderful." The man adjusted his dark purple suit and nudged the young mage to follow him. "Come on, lad. We have other matters to attend to."
The young boy slightly bowed in my direction and scurried inside the carriage.
I watched The Gilded Siren's carriage round around the courtyard and exit through the manor's gates.
The mage boy was a reminder that I had Denise's life to worry about as well. Her life was connected to Fin's misfortune of falling into the Spider's hands. She had to stay alive beyond just being his beloved sister.
I sighed.
But her death was a complete freak accident. By the laws of the butterfly effect, she should escape death unless she is somehow deathly clumsy.
And before worrying about Denise's potential death, I had Jasper's deadly illness to address first. But, unfortunately, the cure I had in mind initially was now sitting as a piece of yellow fluff atop my head.
I suppose on to the next possible solution; the essence of a phoenix feather, albeit it's not actually made with actual phoenix feathers, according to Leona.
I clicked open the chest again and pulled out six phoenix eyes.
I should also go see Father and repay him.
"Henry, please carry this back to my room." I locked the chest again and handed it to him, keeping the keystone for myself.
"What are you going to do with all this?" Henry excitedly asked. "You could probably buy a small country with this much. I can only imagine what I'd buy if I had won! Maybe I should try my luck."
My eyes looked pitifully at Henry.
"Henry, don't take my success as a suggestion to try it yourself. You're more likely to leave the casino with your pockets empty, in heavy debt, or without your life."
Even if he has my luck, the reality of the Gilded Siren was that the only reason they let me walk away with this much money was my background. I was Luca Frey of the powerful Frey Merchant Guild. If a nobody with zero connections or any kind of leverage had won the gamble, they would have been quietly taken care of.
"Don't worry, I always leave the gambling to Jasper. Still, it's quite the sum. What will you buy?" He asked again.
"Who knows," I mused. "Perhaps I'll invest in shovels or buy some land in the Humpton Forest."
Or better yet, both. I'll need to consult with the System on the timing of making such an investment, however. I didn't remember precisely when what would occur in the future. The timing was everything.
"Shovels…?" Henry blinked his eyes.
I ignored his confusion and turned to walk back inside the mansion. Besides seeing Father, I had a few things to put in place before the ball.
"And the haunted and cursed Humpton Forest??" Henry hurried beside me. "Isn't that land completely useless? Nothing can survive there."
"Nothing is ever useless." I winked at him. "The use just needs to be uncovered."
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Micah adjusted the sleeves of his white suit and took in his reflection.
"You look dashing, young master Micah," the servant commented. "All eyes will be on you."
"It'll do. Thank you." Micah pocketed his looking glass and grabbed a parchment that noted his investigation into the oddball inventor that Luca had proposed to Father for investment. He walked out of his bedroom and left his savant to tidy up the space.
A light clicking sound came from his looking glass.
Micah pulled it out and popped open the round golden artifact.
On the other side of the looking glass was a young girl sitting beside one of Micah's people. Her eyes were red and puffy. She looked like she had been crying. It was the eight-year-old daughter of the royal waiter that was being blackmailed by the Silver Eel Syndicate.
There's one death flag taken care of.
Micah smiled at the image and nodded in approval.
He clicked the looking glass closed and pocketed it.
His smile withered.
But there's still the issue of the cats for Luca. And specifically the white and violet one. No one has caught it. But it does exist. Reports from my people noted having seen it earlier today.
Micah pushed open the doors to the manor's cellar and walked down the stone steps, lit by ever-burning torches along one of the walls. A musky smell emanated from the place; a mixture of grains, moss, and metal. He moved past an array of house supplies, poisons, and antidotes stretched across twenty or so rows of shelves. He walked until the end of the cellar and moved through a set of metal doors with embedded black-mana stones guarded by two women.
"Micah, what brings you down here? I'm trying to get a few things wrapped up tonight. I haven't even wrapped up the investigation into Kaiden yet." His father pulled off a pair of bloodied gloves and tossed them away. "I don't suggest getting too close, or you'll risk getting your white suit stained."
Micah glanced over at the two men and one woman that Father was questioning. His eyes moved away from the ugly mess and returned to his father.
"There's a cat issue I need your help with," Micah said.
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His father chuckled. "I've heard about that. Luca made an order to remove all cats from the manor. Did you know he threatened the guards he'd tell you if they didn't comply?"
"Good. They need to start listening to Luca more." Micah nodded.
"You're taking the cat thing that seriously?" Father shook his head. "Micah, everyone else at the manor knows to not take your brother's pranks too seriously anymore. Even your mother and I have stopped paying attention to them. So you can't go around using your reputation and scaring the staff into playing into Luca's jokes."
"Father, I understand, but Luca has changed," Micah said. "And it's not a joke."
"No one changes overnight," Father argued back.
"Luca did," Micah said. "You'll need to start taking him seriously from now on."
Micah handed over the parchment paper that went over the details into Sarka Jarbez, the inventor Luca had suggested that Father invest in.
"I looked into her. She's from the eastern continent from the Sorvagur region," Micah said.
Father took the parchment and pulled it under one of the torch lights for better inspection.
"She arrived in Adovoria recently," Father commented. "She escaped the massacre that occurred there last season?"
"That is correct," Micah said. "And it appears that she was highly regarded back in her country before the regime changed. She changed her name when she arrived to avoid detection; she's on the top ten most wanted list by the new regime. She is an expert in her field."
Micah pulled out his looking glass and let the golden artifact swing from its chain.
"She is the inverter of this."
"The looking glass??" Father gasped. His usual stoic demeanor was gone.
Micah nodded.
"How has no one else picked her up then? Are you certain it's her?" Father inquired. His head looked up from the parchment. His bright green eyes twinkled under the glow of the torch.
"She changed her name. She barely speaks our language, and she doesn't know Adovoria's customs for doing business. She's never even had to make a request for investment before." Micah lifted up the original document with her primitive request. "Her name was enough to get the funding she needed in the past. But she can't use it now."
"Ughhhhh…" A moan sounded from the back of the room
"Ah, he's finally woken up again." Father pulled on a pair of fresh gloves. "I'm getting too old for this. I need to train someone to take this part over."
"Get her the funding needed. And pull her under your protection. We can't let the golden goose get found and die, now, can we?" Father's fingers moved through his shiny silver tools and picked his favorite one. It was a scalpel with small sharp teeth.
Knock. Knock.
Father and Micah looked towards the closed cellar doors.
"Master Terrell, Luca is here to give something to you," one of the guards outside called out. "Shall I let him in?"
Father and Micah looked at the mess at the back of the room and exchanged looks. Micah shook his head.
I don't know how much Luca has changed, but it can't be good to introduce him yet to this side of the Frey Merchant Guild.
"No, I can't have him enter right now. Please have him drop off whatever it is," Father called out. "When he leaves, one of you please bring it in."
"Very well," the woman outside called back.
Micah and his father waited for the doors to open. One of the guards walked in with her palms clasped together in front of her. She had a mystified expression.
"What did he hand you?" Micah asked.
"He said this was his repayment with interest from this morning," the guard said and lifted one palm to reveal six phoenix eyes laying atop a handkerchief.
"Repayment?" Father walked over to the guard.
Micah chuckled. "It's for the three phoenix eyes you gave him. I heard he made a fortune from a gamble he took. I told you you should have given him all twenty-eight phoenix eyes."
"I guess so…" Father smiled. "That's two times he's surprised me now."
He motioned the guard to set the gemstones on a table and leave the room.
"Well then, I don't believe in lucky chances, so perhaps you are right. Luca has changed." Father walked back to his equipment. "Tell me, what is this cat situation you need my help with? Aren't your people enough?"
"A violet and white cat poses a deadly threat to Luca. My men have seen it early this morning, but none have been able to take care of it yet. No one seems to have even seen it since the order went out."
"Basically, you want the Frey Merchant Guild's help locating this cat, is that it?"
Micah felt a click sound from his pocket and pulled out his golden looking glass.
A large grin spread across his face at the image before him. A feeling of overwhelming relief swept through him like a cool wave.
"Looks like you received some good news?" Father asked and walked over to the moaning man. He twirled the sabered scalpel in one hand.
"I did," Micah replied. "I reckon I owe one of my people two phoenix eyes."
A ridiculously fluffy cat with white and violet fur was on the small circular screen. It was lying still, and its eyes were closed.
Now I just need to confirm with Luca it's the right one. Until then, I'll have to remain on guard.
He looked at a standing wooden clock against one of the cellar walls.
But not right now. I need to head out to the ball.
Micah tapped the red mana stone on the looking glass and spoke into it.
"Have the cat brought to the Frey residence tomorrow morning, and I'll have your payment then."
"Very well," the raspy voice on the other end replied.